Returned ch 1
by khybrd90
Summary: Set several years after Naruto's big fight with Madara. he escapes the battle, taking Sasuke with him. Back at Konoha, the villagers welcome a new addition from the thought-to-be-completely wiped out clan, Uchiha. A NaruSaku story. Don't get me wrong, i like NaruHina, just wanted to see how this pairing would do. Naruto/Sakura, Kakashi/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, manga or anime. This wonderful story and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I do partially own both Kyora and Hikaru (partially since they both use the Uchiha name. =P) This is my first fanfic about Naruto, so if you guys can read and offer me pointers on how to improve it, i'd be forever grateful. Sorry for the grammar mistakes here and there.**

**_Uchiha Kyora is Itachi and Sasuke's eldest sister. she too possesses immense talent and has joined the ANBU at the age of 10. After the war with the Akatsuki which she was involved in, she quit the ANBU. She is married to Hatake Kakashi and has a son Hikaru who strangely looks like a mini Sasuke except that he has his father's silver hair and his mother's gentle nature. His cheeriness, however was nurtured by his indulgent godfather, a certain blonde haired shinobi by the name Naruto. _  
**

* * *

"Hikaru!" Uchiha Kyora ran down the stairs, her eyes taking a quick glance around the living room. Where was her son? He was supposed to be in his room and now she can't find him anywhere. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. Had an enemy found him and took him? Given the circumstances of her son's birth, it was not an uncommon thought. Born from one of the remaining members of the Uchiha, a noble Bloodline limit of Konoha and as the son of the village's number 1 copy ninja, Hatake Kakashi, it was not unusual for the father's enemies or even the Akatsuki to come and try to snatch the boy away. A million possibilities rushed through her head and she was about to dash over to the Hokage's office when a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Kaa-chan!" her not-so-little boy waved from down the road. Kyora relaxed when she saw the face of the stranger who brought her baby home. "Naruto, did Hikaru interrupt your morning training again?' she asked the blonde-haired Jounin. Naruto grinned at the Uchiha kunoichi and assured her that it was nothing of the sort. "He helped me train in a way," he said as he watched Hikaru hug his mother. "Kaa-chan, when I grow up, I want to be just like Naruto nii-chan!" he stated resolutely to a smiling Kyora. Naruto stared wide-eyed at the 8 year old. He never thought that he'd be that idolized by anyone… aside from Konohamaru and his friends. He watched silently as Hikaru reenacted the moves he saw Naruto execute during the training session. "Well, Naruto, I appreciate you looking out for him, EVERY MORNING." She emphasized on the last words, glancing at her son who looked sheepish. Naruto chuckled and told her that he'd be glad to watch over Hikaru. "It's my personal victory that Hika-chan is closer to me than to Sai and Sakura-chan. Hehe~" he added cheekily. Kyora smiled and sent her son upstairs to get ready for school. Once her son was out of sight, Kyora beckoned to Naruto to follow her into the kitchen.

"I'm going on a mission for a few days. Starts tomorrow." She said pouring a cup of coffee and offering it to Naruto who gratefully accepted. "I was wondering if Hikaru can stay with you while I'm gone." She said looking hopefully at the boy who she regarded as her own brother. Naruto stared at her. Something doesn't seem right. Seeing his doubtful expression she told him that it was an S-class mission. She was not sure how long it would really take and hoped that Naruto and the others can help look after Hikaru. "What about Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked the inevitable. Kyora smiled sadly, "I know he thinks that by staying away from Hikaru and making him take up the Uchiha name instead of his own will keep our son safe from his enemies… but sometimes I wish that he would just sit down with us and worry together." She looked at the pictures lining her kitchen walls. All of them featured Hikaru with various people, but never with Kakashi. "As if his enemies can't piece the puzzle together. If I decide to change Hikaru's hair colour back to the way it was, everyone would know who the father is." She added with a slight bitterness in her voice. Naruto winced at her tone. "Doesn't Kakashi-sensei… um, visit Hikaru sometimes?" he asked hesitantly. Kyora sighed and told him that Kakashi visits alright, just not when Hikaru's awake to see him. "He drops by in the middle of the night, always leaving before Hikaru wakes up. Doesn't he understand that his son misses him?" she murmured to herself. She quickly rearranged her expression, telling Naruto what Ino had told her about Hikaru's transformation justsu. "Other students would take their teachers as models for '_henge no jutsu_' but Hikaru would always, _always_ transform into Kakashi."Naruto looked down at his cup and decided that it's time for a topic change.

"Ano sa, Kyora-neechan. Sakura chan has finally agreed to go on a date with me!" he grinned widely. Kyora laughed and said that his persistence finally paid off. They were about to go into more detail when Hikaru came bounding down the stairs, calling for his mother. "Kaa-chan, I'm going to be late!" he whined when he saw that Kyora was still sitting in the kitchen. Kyora and Naruto exchanged glances and the blonde got up and walked to the younger Uchiha, "Ikuzo, Hika-chan! I'll walk you to the academy today." He said as he picked up the boy's bag. Hikaru grinned and waved goodbye to his mother as he practically skipped behind Naruto. He was secretly overjoyed that Naruto walked him to the academy. Now he could prove to his friends that he was not lying when he told them that the great Uzumaki Naruto is his godfather. Naruto suddenly stopped walking startling Hikaru out of his daydreams. "Naruto nii-chan?" he tugged at the jounin's sleeve. Naruto cleared his throat and crouched down so that he was at eye level with the shorter Uchiha. "Ne, Hika-chan. How would you like to stay over at my place for a few days?" he asked. Hikaru stared at him. "Was okaa-chan assigned a mission again?" the unexpected reply pushed Naruto off guard. He nervously asked what made Hikaru say that. The small boy shrugged and said that he overheard them talking in the kitchen earlier. Hikaru sat down on the pavement. He recalled an incident that occurred nearly 3 years ago. The first time his mother had started accepting missions again. Two ANBUs had appeared in their backyard. He was amazed at the superiority that his mother displayed with the two shinobies, calmly telling them that she would leave to the Hokage's office after dropping him off at Naruto's place. Since then, every time a mission came up, she would always let Hikaru spend the days at Naruto's house. Hikaru was immensely proud of his mother. He had once seen how her Sharingan glistened as she fought to get him back when he was kidnapped by rogue ninjas seeking revenge from his father. '_His father…_' Naruto called out to him when he saw Hikaru's face fall. He knew what the young boy was thinking and decided to take action on his misery. "Hikaru, meet me at Ichiraku's Ramen after school, 'kay? I want to talk to about something." He said as he led Hikaru to the academy's gate. Hikaru looked up at him, a confused expression of his face. Naruto chuckled, "Daijobu! I'll tell your mother that I'm taking you directly from school. I'll get her to send over your things tonight." He added hugging Hikaru. The little boy smiled and nodded before running off to class. The blonde jounin sighed and turned to leave the vicinity. As he was leaving, he noticed a familiar silhouette leaning against a tree. He sighed and walked towards his former instructor.

Kakashi emerged from behind the tree when he saw the unlikely pair nearing the academy. He smiled when he saw the taller blonde hugging the raven-haired boy. The smaller boy's features reminded him a lot of his former student, an arrogant Uchiha whom he failed to save. He leaned back against the tree when he saw that the blonde jounin noticed his presence. "Oii! Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing all there?" the loud Uzumaki yelled a greeting as walked to the silver-haired jounin. Kakashi winced at Naruto over-enthusiastic greeting. That part of him never changed, but Kakashi knew that the events that happened over the years had swallowed most of cheery dispositionthe Uzumaki had. Behind his piercing blue eyes lie a sadness and frustration that linger like the shadows. Kakashi understood how the failure of bringing back Sasuke had affected his two remaining students. He also knew that the failure affected Naruto most. He raised his hand in salute as the loud blonde approached. "Naruto, please don't shout. You'll wake up half the village." He smiled under his mask. Naruto grinned at him before suggesting they go for a drink.

**Thar's all for now. but then again, its only the first chapter. Plz read and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**so here's the next chapter. In this chapter, I tried to put in Kakashi's own reasoning as to why his son uses the Uchiha name.  
**

When they reached the dango shop, they were greeted by Sakura and Hinata who were on their way to the

hospital. "Kakashi-sensei! It's been a while. How are you?" Sakura asked looking at her former instructor. It's

been several months since they last saw each other. Kakashi had been sent on a mission near the Water

Country recently and today was the first day he appeared in public. Kakashi chuckled and gave a brief greeting

before teasing her about dating Naruto. "I guess all the coaxing and pushing works, huh?" he added cheekily.

Sakura turned a soft shade of scarlet before retorting that she'd only agreed to stop him pestering her. She

then walked away before the two jounins decide to continue to torment her.

Amidst the laughter, Naruto suddenly remembered about his extra special guest. He reached out for her arm,

"Neh, Sakura-chan. Make sure you stop by my place after work today." He grinned mysteriously. Kakashi,

Hinata and pretty much every customer in the shop stared at the couple. "Uh… Naruto… don't you think you

should wait a while before making that invitation?" the silver-haired jounin asked, quite sheepishly. Hinata

nodded fervently as she stammered the same thing to Sakura. The pink haired woman was startled at the

'audience's' response, even more confused when she saw how Naruto was oblivious to the reaction. He only

managed a 'HAH?' as a reply.

"Ugh… Naruto, why are you asking me to stop by again?" she asked, rubbing her

temple while the inner Sakura was punching the air, yelling '_Shannaro! It's TOO early for that!'_. Naruto blinked

before realizing that Sakura was talking to him. He looked at her straight in the eyes, grinning at her so

adorably that Sakura can't help but smile along with him. Then as if a light bulb had lit up in her head, her

whole face lit up a well, "Hikaru?" Kakashi turned at the mention of the name. He cleared his throat, "Why is

Hikaru going to your house, Naruto?" he asked. The couple looked at each other for a few seconds before

Naruto said that it wasn't the jounin's business to know. "It's not like he can stay over at your place." He said

with a slight bitterness in his voice. Sakura noticed the change in the atmosphere and squeezed Naruto's arm

as if coaxing him to stop. She looked apologetically at their former instructor, "Kyora nee-san usually leaves

Hikaru with Naruto every time she leaves for a mission. So I guess it's safe to say that Hokage-sama has

assigned her on one again." She said. Turning to Naruto, she asked him if he had any requests for dinner

tonight. She was going to have to go to the market anyway if Hikaru was staying over at the blonde's place.

Naruto's home, though bigger than his last apartment still boasts a cupboard full of instant ramen. Sakura

doubts Kyora would approve of feeding her son nothing but cup noodles for the few days she was gone. Not

that Hikaru minds. He idolizes Naruto so much that he was starting to pick up her friend's habit of eating

ramen whenever he can. Seeing the good natured banter going on between Sakura and the boy who used to

reside in her heart, Hinata smiled warmly. There was no doubt in her mind and in her heart that Naruto is in

good hands. She knows how Sakura really feels about Naruto no matter how much she denies it. Deciding that

it's best that she leave the two to talk, she excused herself, telling Sakura that she'll help explain to Tsunade

if the Hokage asked about her student. Naruto shouted a thank you before insisting to Sakura that he'll eat

whatever she cooks. He's always done that before hasn't he? Realizing that she was running late for her

training, she made up her mind to make curry for the boys' dinner.

As she ran off, she reminded Naruto to invite Sai to come along too. The young man nodded as he waved

enthusiastically at the retreating figure. Then he turned at Kakashi who had an unreadable expression on his

masked face. His eyes were unfocused and he seemed to be thinking hard when Naruto smacked his back.

"Sorry I was a bit hard to you. But really, you deserve it." He said, rather regretfully.

Kakashi rubbed the spot where Naruto hit him, silently agreeing to what the blonde was saying and just

vaguely nodding to whatever the loud blonde was saying next. But Naruto didn't understand. The jounin

stared into his sake as the past swirled into focus in his memory. Even though Kakashi's marriage to Kyora

was kept under wraps, some people still manage to find out the truth. So when silver-haired Hikaru was born,

there were endless kidnapping attempts made on the infant. And one of them nearly succeeded. That was

when he decided that his son should not carry his name.

He had many enemies out there. There was a good chance that they might use Hikaru to get back at him. It

was not that Kyora can't protect Hikaru. Kakashi was more than sure of what that the former ANBU was

capable of, but he was also sure that she can't always watch over him. Carrying the Uchiha name has fewer

risks compared to his name. He smiled ruefully when Kyora's face flashed across his memory. He knew that

she understood his worries. So why was it still so hard to come home and see her smile again? She always

had this sad expression on her face. She never spoke whenever he came. She didn't even sit with him when

he sat by Hikaru's bed. Instead, she stood at the door, watching. Even when he walked out of the house, she

just stood by silently. When Naruto noticed that Kakashi wasn't paying attention to him, him peered at the

silent jounin who suddenly smiled softly at his cup.

"AHH!" he shouted, pointing at the startled Kakashi. Naruto bent closer and said in a hoarse whisper, "Are you

thinking of something perverted, Kakashi-sensei?". Kakashi snapped out of his surprised state and told Naruto

that he wasn't. "Besides, why should I waste my time thinking about it when I can just read it?". With that he

took out, with flourish, the book Naruto thought had perished over the years. The blonde stared at the

chuckling shinobi. 'Dattebayo! This man is unbelievable!' he screamed in his head, lunging at Kakashi. He tried

to snatch it but the fast jounin moved it out of his reach. "I thought Kyora nee-chan burned your last copy!" he

said, still attempting to grab the cursed book. Kakashi dashed to the door as he single-handedly avoided

Naruto's assault. "Arigato for the drinks, Naruto~" he said, waving to the infuriated blonde who was faced by

the smiling shop owner.

**so that's it for this chapter. I'm uploaded another chapter together with this one so please enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yosh! here's the next chapter. hope you enjoy it coz it will be a while til i can upload a new one. thanx alot those who left reviews. you really spiked me up to continue. =P  
**

"Haaa…." Naruto sighed as he dragged his feet back to his apartment. "That sneaky Kakashi-sensei!" he

screamed clutching head, while a few onlookers hastened their steps. His living quarters slowly came into

view. He had to go and straightened up his place before bringing Hikaru over. He has been on missions for

almost two months straight. He hardly came home except to have a quick nap or replenish his supplies for the

mission. Naruto held his breath and braced himself as he turned his key in the lock. The sight that greeted him

would surely cost a mean punch from Sakura if she had seen it. His clothes were strewn all over the place. Not

to mention his kunais and shurikens. The futon was halfway out his bedroom door. There was a trail of scrolls

that apparently came from his second bedroom. A large bead of sweat rolled of his forehead as he lowered his

head in defeat. Naruto sighed and jumped when he felt a hand tap his shoulder. "Yo!" a cheerful Kiba greeted

him as Akamaru bounded about behind him. As Naruto was about to scold Kiba for surprising him, he saw that

his loud friend was not alone. Lee, Chouji, Sai, and Tenten accompanied Kiba. "What are you all doing here?"

he asked. Lee gave Naruto his trademark grin before saying that they came over to help him. "Help me with

what?" the blonde asked, still not getting it. Sai came forward. "Sakura told me Hikaru's coming over to stay.

Did she not tell you that we were coming?" he asked innocently. "B-b-but she~" Naruto stuttered as Tenten

pushed him aside, "Do you honestly think you could clear this warzone up by yourself before school hours are

over?" she opened the doors wide and looked at her embarrassed friend. "Even if you're planning to use your

shadow clones?" she added when she saw Naruto open his mouth to answer. The blonde glanced at his

friends and took a look at his sorry excuse for a house. He sighed in defeat. She was right, there was just too

much for him to do on his own. Even if he used _'tajuu kage bunshin_' it would just tire him out faster. And he DID

need to get to Ichiraku's by the school's finishing bell. "Thank you." He said as he ushered them inside. Chouji

took a swift look around muttering, "This place is wasted on you, Naruto…". The rest of them couldn't agree

more. After the war, Tsunade decided it was high time that Naruto improved his living facilities. She had given

him a spacious 3-bedroom apartment that faced the rest of the village. It was a beautiful place and Naruto

prided himself when Sakura came over and told him that it was like her dream home. He only used two

bedrooms; one was where he slept and the other was where he kept his weapons. The third bedroom was

specially set aside for when Hikaru comes to stay.

Tenten then walked to the front of the group, holding an enormous scroll. Naruto walked to the front and

watched as she opened the scroll and performed a number of seals before touching it. In a puff of smoke,

various cleaning materials appeared. Tenten started to delegate the tools and location to be used. As she

handed Naruto a mop along with a bucket, he took the opportunity to thank her again. Tenten shrugged and

said that it was an unspoken rule to help a friend in need as she smiled at him. Away they scrubbed and

swept and mopped, almost cheerfully. Chouji worked diligently in the kitchen as he cleaned and chomped on

whatever he found there. Lee was scrubbing hard in the bathroom, no doubt making it a personal challenge

for himself as he worked. Tenten worked in the second bedroom, collecting the scrolls Naruto left lying around.

Naruto and Kiba were supposed to be cleaning the main room but they were having so much fun waging a

pillow fight that they didn't sense a murderous aura at the door.

Tenten came in and knocked their heads together, quite hard too. "You were supposed to clean this up, not

mess it up!" she scolded, feeling exasperated when she saw that Akamaru had bit one of the pillows open.

Now, in addition to the current mess they had to sort out, Tenten had ordered them to clean get rid of the

feathers that came out of the pillow that Akamaru bit. Sai on the other hand, was cleaning up the living room.

He looked puzzled at the small mound of weapons he had picked up from all over the space. It was one thing

to have them lying on the floor. Naruto was probably practicing as he noticed the target board on the wall. But

what were 6 shurikens and _12_ _kunais_ doing in and on his couch? Naruto couldn't possibly have used that

couch for target practice. The dark-haired boy sighed and continued sweeping the floor. Tenten smiled in

satisfaction when she saw that apart from the two that were screwing around in the bedroom, the others

were doing their chores quite well. She heaved a basketful of Naruto's clothes and took them to the laundry

room. She then went downstairs to the convenient store, "After all that hard work, the boys deserve a drink."

She said to herself as she paid for 6 bottles of juice and a treat for Akamaru.

When Lee deposited the last garbage bag outside, Naruto took a look around his apartment. Sakura was

right, he needed the extra hands. The five boys piled into the living room and sat down. This was seriously

hard work. As they were resting, Kiba noticed Tenten's absence. "Oi! Where's Tenten? Don't tell me she

slacked off when we were working our butts off here?" he protested. The sound the door opening made the

shinobies turn their heads. "First of all, I wasn't slacking. I went down to get you guys a drink. Second of all, I

wasn't the one engaged in a pillow fight instead of doing my JOB." she emphasized as she tossed the drink

bottles to her friends. They thanked her (Kiba mumbled a 'thank you') and gratefully drank the juice. As they

were relaxing, the faint sound of school bells made Naruto choke on his drink.

"Shimatta! I'm supposed to be at Ichiraku's in five minutes!" he said as stumbled over his friends to get to the

door. He ran out the door before any of them could demand an apology. Chouji chuckled as he helped Sai up.

"Guess that's our cue," he said heading to the door. Tenten smiled and reminded them that Sakura had also

invited them for dinner tonight. "So make sure you all come, 'kay?" she said as she locked the door.

'Darn it! Darn it! Darn it!' Naruto thought as he speed to the familiar ramen stall that he spent most his youth

at. As he reached Ichiraku's, he recognized the small black belt that lay against one of the seats. Naruto

abruptly slowed down, "He's here."

* * *

"Domo arigato!" Hikaru slurped the last of the soup from his bowl. He ran here as soon as school was out. He

can't wait to see Naruto and talk about how he finally succeeded in executing the fireball jutsu, the trademark

of the Uchiha. However, the blonde jounin was nowhere to be seen. He was going to wait outside but Ayame,

the old man's daughter gestured him inside. He was about to protest when she set down a steaming bowl of

ramen in front of him, but his hungry stomach betrayed him. She let out a small laugh and whispered. "It's

okay. We'll put it on Naruto's tab." She winked. Thanking her, the young Uchiha gratefully grabbed a pair of

chopsticks before digging in, "Itadakimasu!"

**that's all for now. plz read and review! until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Hikaru!" Naruto grabbed his shoulder, surprising the dark head. Hikaru turned and saw the grinning face and couldn't help but grin along. The blonde took a seat beside him and ordered a bowl of ramen. "Sorry I'm late, Hika-chan. I had some stuff I had to take care of." He apologized as he slurped the hot noodles. The young boy smiled and assured him that it's okay. He then told Naruto about his success earlier. As he had expected, Naruto looked at him proudly and said, "That's great, Hika-chan! I knew you could do it! Yosh! Yosh!" he ruffled up Hikaru's hair. No matter how much he hates people messing up his hair, Hikaru just can't get angry at Naruto for doing it. Instead he gave Naruto a wide grin which was reciprocated by the blonde.

"Neh, Hika-chan." Naruto's sudden call caught the laughing boy's attention. He looked at Naruto while the blonde just stared into his ramen bowl. "I want to ask you something. You don't have to answers if you don't want to, though." he added, sneaking a look at the boy beside him. Hikaru shrugged and turned his full attention to Naruto. The blonde cleared his throat and exhaled a nervous breath. Here goes nothing… "I just noticed. You never ask about your dad at all. You do know who he is, right?" Hikaru almost laughed at the expression spread over Naruto's face. "Duh. He used to be your instructor, right. Back when Sasuke nii-san~ uh!" he clamped his hand over his mouth and stared at his feet. Naruto's surprised expression softened as he gently ruffled the smaller boy's head. "It's okay. Whatever happened in the past was something neither of us had expected. But life goes on. And I believe, well, all of us believe that Sasuke will come back one day." He ended that sentence with pained expression. Hikaru bit his lip and tried to think of something that will take his favorite uncle's mind off the current topic. "Aren't ya worried?" he asked cheekily, nudging Naruto. The taller man looked blankly at Hikaru and scratched his head. The Uchiha grinned and replied, "If Sasuke nii-san DOES come back wouldn't that mean that Sakura nee-san won't hang around with you anymore? Everyone knows how much she luuurrvves him. Hee~"he added making a face at the blushing Uzumaki. He then danced around Naruto as the blonde shouted abuse at the prancing boy.

Twenty minutes later, Hikaru had already stopped teasing and yet Naruto was still looking sour. The raven haired boy winced at the lack of words from his usually chatty uncle. 'Guess I crossed the line…' he thought regretfully. Mustering up his courage and hoping it might be enough to make Naruto 'normal' again. "Ne, Naruto nii-chan." Hikaru pulled at his sleeve. Naruto stopped walking and turned to look down at Hikaru. "I'm sorry for what I said. Even if Sasuke nii-san comes back, Sakura-nee would still choose you. I would." He added in a small voice. Naruto stared wide-eyed at the boy. He didn't realize that his silence was misinterpreted by Hikaru. He cleared his throat and said that it was about time that Hikaru noticed. He chuckled when he saw Hikaru stare guiltily down at his feet. Naruto crouched down to the shorter boy. "I was joking Hika-chan!" he ruffled the boy's head. When he got no response from the Uchiha, he held the boy's shoulders and looked straight at his face. When Hikaru looked up to him, he gave the biggest grin he could manage. "Datebayo! Why the serious face?" he tickled the boy until they were both rolling on the ground. Several bystanders smiled at their antics. Both boys sat up on the pavement, remnants of their laughs still etched on their faces. "If you weren't upset, then why were you suddenly quiet?" Hikaru asked massaging his red cheeks. Naruto sighed and hugged his knees. "I just couldn't forget the look on your mom's face when Sasuke walked away. And it wasn't just Kyora nee-chan. Sakura-chan… that bastard took away our friend and caused Konoha to lose a member of its family." Hikaru blinked at the passion that Naruto displayed. He never thought that the loss of one person could affect so many people. Sure, he didn't really know much about his uncle Sasuke. Hikaru was born years after that fight with Madara. He only knew Sasuke from the pictures that Kyora kept. One of them was the same one that Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi kept. The photo of the three genins with their instructor. He used to ask his mom about his uncle (and sometimes his dad too). But he stopped asking when he saw the sad look on Kyora's face every time she told him. "Does it hurt that bad?" he asked earnestly. Naruto smiled sadly, "Like hell. Sasuke was my first friend. In a way, he was part of my family." he said, finally standing up. "Anyway, I thought this discussion was supposed to be about your dad. How did we end up talking about that show-off?" he joked, poking a grinning Hikaru. The boy replied saying that Naruto was the one that strayed off topic, not him. The pair walked along until they reached the blonde's apartment.

"Yosh! Welcome back, Hika-chan!" Naruto said as he swung open the door with flourish. Right onto Kiba's grinning face. His painful howls made the blonde panic and ask what he was doing behind his door. Kiba shakily pointed to the rest of the room as Akamaru tried to comfort his injured master. Hikaru smiled happily as all the Konoha shinobis he knew greeted him warmly. His best moment however, was when Sai and Sakura emerged from the kitchen. Sai came over and enveloped him in a bear hug while Sakura stood by the door, wiping her hands in her apron and shouting 'Okairi Hikaru!'. Then Naruto would come over and push Sai aside which made the whole room laugh at the blonde's jealousy. These small things were why Hikaru was always more than happy to stay over at Naruto's place. Everyone made an effort to stop by. Even Shikamaru who always said that it was troublesome and Neji who usually avoided gatherings like this would be there when Hikaru came.

"Ne, Hikaru. Why don't you go and freshen up first? I heard that you did an amazing feat today." Sakura winked at him as she took his bag. Hikaru looked at her, confused and then realized that Ino must have told her about his fire ball jutsu. He nodded and raced to his 'room'. He can't wait to be back out with all his 'uncles' and 'aunts'. They made him like feel a part of a very big extended family. When he came back out, the kunoichis were busy setting up the table. Shikamaru and Neji were engaged in a deep conversation of about the recent mission they went on. Choji and Kiba were comparing new ninjutsu out on the balcony while Lee was helping Sai carry out the dishes. Hikaru looked around the room. _Where are Naruto nii-chan and Sakura nee-chan?_ He walked further and found them both in the kitchen.

"Why did you have to invite EVERYBODY?"The blonde complained as Sakura continued to stir the curry. She rolled her eyes and told him that it wasn't a big deal. Each and every one of them was somewhat involved in Hikaru's life, growing up Konoha. Of course they would want to come over and see him. "You can't have him all to yourself, Naruto." She added, tasting the curry. Almost done. She turned and saw Naruto pouting by the refrigerator. She sighed and brought over a spoon to get him to taste the finished food. When he turned away, refusing to taste it, Sakura gently gripped his chin with her other hand and turned his face towards her. "If it would make you feel any better, you've always been number one to Hikaru." she smiled as he hastily gulped down the sample on the spoon. She gave a small laugh when he mumbled 'It's delicious…' and surprised him further when she hugged his arm. "So stop being selfish, neh? There's enough of him to go around." She said jokingly. Naruto finally grinned and rubbed the back of head as he apologized for being so childish. A muffled laugh made them move away from each other and turn towards the sound. Hikaru was struggling to control his expression when they both turned to look at him. "Oops~" he said bashfully. He had watched their entire conversation and couldn't help love them.

Sakura would always change the topic whenever Hikaru hinted that the two would eventually get married, but who wouldn't? Not that the pink haired kunoichi would ever admit it, but she always had this gentle look in her eyes whenever she looked at Naruto or when Naruto's name would come up in a conversation. Hikaru grinned widely at the pair and as he anticipated, they weren't angry that he eavesdropped on them. "Hikaru…" Naruto smiled back at the boy. Sakura turned back to her cooking and asked the boys to carry the last of the dishes out. Naruto and Hikaru slowly carried the two pots of curry while Sakura followed behind them, carrying the rice. "Well everybody, dig in!" she said as she started to scoop out the rice. "Itadakimasu~"

After the meal, Hikaru was whisked off by his 'uncles' who would often teach him new techniques and train him. The female shinobis on the other hand sat by, catching up with the latest gossip and cheered Hikaru whenever he succeeded in a new jutsu. Not far from the scene another pair of eyes was also observing the lively group. A warm smile adorned the hidden shinobi's face as she watched the little Uchiha being surrounded by the people who absolutely adored him.


	5. Chapter 5

Kyora watched silently as Shikamaru, Choji and Ino leave Naruto's apartment. She actually arrived there more than half an hour ago, but she didn't want to interrupt a party that was so warmly planned for her little boy. The agile kunoichi jumped down from the tree that she had been sitting in, holding a dark blue duffel bag. She waited a few more minutes to be sure that all the guests had left the building before walking towards the door. A soft thud made her stop in her tracks. She recognized the newcomer's chakra and slowly let down her guard. "What are you doing here?" she asked a silver haired man who stood a few paces behind her. Kakashi stepped up to his wife. "Same reason you're here." He said pleasantly. Kyora glanced at him, "Are you sure? Hikaru's still awake." She replied with a slightly sarcastic tone. Kakashi sighed loudly, "I think it's time for Hikaru to see me." The Uchiha stared at him. What made him finally decide that? She spent forever trying to persuade him to let their son meet him. He always had an excuse ready for her. Either that or he'd just ignore what she said. So why now?

"Before it's too late." He added quietly, almost to himself. Kyora looked at him, finally understanding what he meant. She had forgotten to tell Naruto that Kakashi was also on the same mission as she was. But then again, she didn't really tell him anything about the mission. She didn't want him to get worried. She didn't want any of them to get worried. She cleared her head of any doubts as she reached the door. Sakura's voice was heard asking to wait after the first knock. Kyora and Kakashi stood silently side-by-side.

"Sorry for the wait. Oh, Kyora-nee." Sai opened the door wider and noticed the extra company, "Kakashi-san." He bowed respectfully as he let the two in. Sakura came in from the kitchen when she heard Kyora's voice, thanking Sai. But she was surprised to see Kakashi standing with the slender Uchiha. "Kakashi sensei?" Sai was about to call Naruto when Kyora asked him not to tell Hikaru about Kakashi's presence. "It's a surprise." She added. Sakura took the bag from Kyora and placed it in Hikaru's room before returning to the living room. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen when she came back and she looked questioningly at the silent kunoichi. Kyora smiled and said that the jounin was waiting out on the balcony. Just as Sakura was about to sit beside Kyora, Hikaru ran into the room straight to his mother.

"Okaa-chan!" he hugged Kyora who smiled softly and asked him how his day was. "It was awesome!" he gushed excitedly at her. She nodded at his stories before glancing at the balcony. Kakashi was silently watching the interaction between his wife and son. As he watched, his hand brought out a book from his pocket. At first glance, one could confirm that it was the perverted book that Naruto tried to snatch away from him this morning. But when he flipped open the book, it was actually an album. Filled with pictures of Hikaru. The sound of Naruto's voice snapped him out of his reverie and he looked in to see the blonde teasing Hikaru about a jutsu that he messed up during the post-dinner training. The sound of their laughter made the jounin laugh softly by himself, a sound that was not missed by the Uzumaki. Naruto turned towards the balcony and instantly recognized the shadow of the person on it. "Kakashi-sensei?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Whew! sorry for the long wait, but inspiration was really hard to come by. there's going to be another long absence after this coz my new semester starts next week but i'll try to update real soon. I feel like a dreaded writer's block coming up so wish me luck and thanks to everyone who left reviews. I am forever grateful.**

"Kakashi-sensei?"Hikaru abruptly stopped talking and just stood in place. He heard footsteps walking closer to where he stood and couldn't find the

will to turn around and face the stranger. Kyora smiled at her nervous son and held him by his shoulders. She slowly turned him around and made him

face the silver haired man. "Hikaru, don't you want you meet your father?" she asked gently. The small boy locked gazes with Kakashi, his pitch black

eyes growing wider by the minute. The tall jounin crouched down to be at eye level with the boy and smiled through his mask. "Yo Hikaru."

Without so much as a heads up, Hikaru launched himself onto Kakashi, wrapping his small arms as far as he could around the man. It took Kakashi

several minutes to recover from the shock to realize that the young boy was crying. Kyora smiled sadly she looked on the reunion between her son and

his father. Sakura clung on to Naruto's arm when she felt the tears that threatened to fall as she heard Hikaru repeatedly call Kakashi 'otou-chan'.

Surprisingly the heartbreaking scene had also triggered an effect in the usually unemotional Sai. Naruto had been turning his head up to the ceiling,

relief washing over his face. 'Thank you… for giving Hikaru his wish…' he silently prayed. Kakashi slowly broke the embrace, a sad smile forming behind

his mask and looked at the quietly sobbing boy. "Gomen neh." He apologized. Hikaru blinked back the remaining tears and asked him why. Kakashi

replied, "For everything."

Kyora suddenly cleared her throat and asked if they had any leftovers from the party. Sakura immediately understood that it was their cue to leave the

father and son to some much needed quality time together. So, dragging a protesting Naruto between them, Sai and Sakura led Kyora to the kitchen.

"Why do I have to come too?" Naruto asked perching on the counter. Sai poured a cup of apple juice from the refrigerator and handed it to the smiling

Uchiha kunoichi. Sakura plated some rice and meat and set them in front of Kyora. "Naruto, Hikaru needs time to be with his father." She said softly.

The blonde shinobi lowered his gaze, silently agreeing. "But why now?" he asked the question that was persistently lingering in everyone's heads.

Kyora stopped drinking and started into her cup. She admitted to the three younger shinobis that she had no idea why either. Seeing her sad face,

Sakura stopped the other two from asking again. She understood how Kyora must have felt.

The three of them have been the most involved in raising Hikaru. They were there when he took his first steps, said his first words. It was Sakura who

walked with Hikaru on his first day at the academy. It was Sai who had first taught him to use a kunai. And it was Naruto who was always there for him

every step of the way. In a way Sakura felt bad for her former instructor because he had missed out on so many of Hikaru's firsts. But she was still a bit

angry at Kakashi for not even attempting to get involved. Kyora had never said it out loud, but Sakura knows that she misses that perverted masked

shinobi as well. The inner Sakura was already flaming up, screaming _'I'd break his bones piece by piece if I were Kyora nee-san! Shannaro!' _She gripped

the plate she was holding in response to her inner self's silent outburst.

Seeing Sakura look so serious, Kyora decided that it was best that she reveal to the three young adults, whom she regarded as her own siblings, a

little bit about her mission. At least they can be prepared, in case the worse happens. "The mission that I'm going on, well, Kakashi's a part of it too."

She continued when she saw the inquiring looks from the young jounin (plus one former ANBU), "Our intelligence unit managed to track down Madara."

Sakura dropped the plates she was carrying as a storm of emotions crossed her face. "Sakura-chan!" Naruto held her hands to stop her from picking

up the broken pieces of the plates off the floor. Sai stood against the doorframe, "And… Sasuke?" he asked, still eyeballing his blonde friend who

looked almost as terrified as the pink-haired kunoichi. Kyora sighed, "We have reason to believe that he's still with Madara. It is the Hokage-sama's

express order that both of them be taken back to Konoha." Sai immediately recognized this as a dead-or-alive mission. There was no way Madara

would surrender peacefully to the Konoha nins. Despite the very experienced shinobis that were being sent, one can't forget that the slippery and sly

Uchiha had evaded capture for decades. "We'll bring him back…"Kyora said quietly, almost to herself. Naruto gritted his teeth and looked down to the

floor, trying to avoid looking at Sakura. Seeing the worried expression on Naruto's face, Sakura grasped his hand and smiled when she got him to look

at her. _It's going to be alright._ No words were needed to convey that thought and the blonde's face visibly relaxed as his signature grin replaced the

frown. Sai chuckled to himself, thinking how the violent Sakura was the only one who could calm Naruto's nerves. Talk about ironic.

After all these years, he still can't even begin to understand the pink haired kunoichi. Even with the help of a certain book that had been passed down

to him by Kakashi. He still flips through it sometimes, not really reading its contents but more to annoy Sakura whose anger will then be redirected at

the blonde when Sai deliberately uses him as a shield. Naruto and his clone helped clean up the last of the broken plates as Sakura asked Kyora of the

duration of the mission. "Oh, don't worry. If anything does happen, my will is in the front pocket of Hikaru's bag." She said, sipping her drink. Sai and

Sakura immediately froze and Naruto sputtered out incoherent sentences at the smiling woman who seemed unaffected by their reactions. "And you

call yourselves shinobis?" she asked, reaching up to poke Sakura's frozen stature. "I was joking. But things happen when you least expect them to. I

need to know that someone will be watching over my precious boy. " she stood up and looked at each of them in turn, "Despite who I was, who I am,

there will always be a possibility that the day I leave for my missions will be the last day I set eyes on Hikaru," she said, touching her head protector

that was tied to her right arm. "The thought of leaving your child behind is something that even the most experienced shinobi can't be prepared for."

She added. Sai drew in a sharp breath. Sakura bit her lip as she shifted uncomfortably on the spot. Kyora's words had truth in them. Their missions

always had risks, some even more than others. And taking into account of Kyora's past as one of Konoha's top ANBU, she was usually assigned to A

class and S class missions. The hokage rarely sent her on anything below that. And yes, she does come back safely, usually with barely a scratch on

her but Sakura knows better. The kunoichi is an exceptionally accomplished medic nin and she would always patch herself up before returning to the

village. To avoid the fuss, she says. But it's more to avoid Hikaru seeing her hurt. Not that the young boy hasn't seen her in battle mode before.

Hikaru was a major fan of Kyora's ANBU past and would always ask Naruto and the blonde's friends about how awesomely awesome his mother is.

Honestly, who else in the entire academy could boast of a more amazing family? Being an Uchiha had already made him a somebody in the village.

Adding that to the fact that the two remaining members of the oh-so-famous Team 7 were his godparents and that even the Hokage seemed to have a

soft spot for him, pretty much made him a well known figure among his classmates. Yeah, both his uncles' betrayal did somewhat put a dent into the

otherwise perfect family tree but then again, he was the only kid in the whole village with such a colourful background story.

A muffled call brought their attention back to the living room. "Kakashi?" Kyora stepped ahead to find an amusing scene. The silver haired jounin was

apparently stuck to the arm chair, Hikaru's sleeping form somehow weighing him down. "Kakashi-sensei~~" Sakura tried to hold in her laughter as to

not awaken the sleeping boy. Sai managed to appear blank as usual while Naruto was practically rolling on the floor, laughing violently silent. Kakashi

seemed flustered and kept pointing at Hikaru, obviously not knowing what to do. Kyora massaged her temples thinking how he could, very easily care

for his genins and yet become totally useless when it comes to caring for his own kid. She walked up to the struggling jounin. Just when he thought

that she was going to take Hikaru, Kyora arranged their son's sleeping position and beckoned him to stand up. "Eh? Um, Kyora?" stuttered the silver

haired man. Kyora looked back from the hallway, "Weren't you taught to finish what you started?" she asked, her soft brown eyes twinkling as Naruto

sniggered behind him. Sakura finally stepped up to Kakashi and brought up his arm to support Hikaru's head, "You'll drop him otherwise, sensei." She

said and she gave him a gentle push towards his waiting wife. Kakashi walked awkwardly to the room where the slender Uchiha was standing at, "Oh?

So you do know how to handle him," she said, not unkindly. Together, they set down their sleeping boy onto the bed. Kyora tucked back several

strands of Hikaru's hair that strayed across his forehead. Kakashi watched with awe, the motherly expression that graced her face. He had never seen

it up close and it caused a whirlwind of emotions to build up inside him. To be honest, this was the first time she had ever stayed so close to him

whenever he came to see Hikaru. "Sweet dreams, Hikaru." she murmured softly at the sleeping boy.

She noticed that Hikaru still had a firm grip on Kakashi's sleeve so she gently pried his little fingers open. "I'm sorry." The sudden apology that left the

silver haired jounin's lips startled the young mother. Kyora turned to face her husband. He pulled up Hikaru's covers and met her gaze, "I thought by

doing this, Hikaru can have a safer life. A normal life, without having to deal with my past and my enemies. I never thought that I'd actually hurt him

that way." He said in a regretful tone. Kyora smiled. Did this guy seriously think Hikaru can grow up normally just by letting him have her name?

"Did you meet Hikaru's godparents? I have to warn you, he has more than one of each and every one of them madder than the rest." She joked

looking at the silent jounin. "His family can never be complete without you. Haven't you any idea why Hikaru always tries his best at the academy?"

Kakashi looked at her intently as she gingerly fingered the simple gold band that hung from her necklace. "He's hoping that when he's good enough,

you'll come home to him. He thinks that you stayed away because you're ashamed of him." That last comment made Kakashi lower his gaze in shame.

"I never said that." He protested. Kyora slightly grunted. "No. that's just what he assumes." She stood up to leave but Kakashi's grip on her wrist

stopped her. "Why don't you tell him otherwise? I have never been ashamed of him, much less stayed away because of it." The young woman stared

at him in disbelief. How on earth did she convince herself to marry such a dense man? She must have been drunk or something.

"Do you seriously think I haven't? That's what I've been telling him since the first time he asked for you. For years I've tried to make him see that even

if you never came to him, you would always think of him. You would never stop loving him even if he failed to master a jutsu. Even if his Sharingan

won't activate, you would never think less of him." her voice was slightly rising and she started pacing the room to calm her nerves. "Is it my fault if he

comes home, sad that his classmates' fathers came to congratulate them on excelling their exams but his own was never there? Is it my fault that he

trains himself late at night, secretly wishing that you were the one coaching and encouraging him instead of just me? Is it my fault that our son, OUR

SON, Kakashi cries himself to sleep after every birthday for the past _eight years _because the one person he wants to be there isn't? Just because the

Hikaru you _spy_ on everyday has a smile on his face doesn't mean the same is reflected in his heart. For heaven's sake, you're his _father_! He needs you!

Why on earth can't you see that?" The three teens eavesdropping outside were startled by Kyora's outburst. The kunoichi they knew was always in

control of her emotions. She had this reassuring and calming aura about her. She seemed to have lost all control tonight which just shows how much

she has been keeping in all this while. "That's almost 8 years of anger and frustration being hurled at Kakashi sensei. Well, it was about time."Sakura

pushed down Naruto's head to hear better through the door. Sai peered through the tiny opening of the door and marveled at how Hikaru was

sleeping through his parents' argument. The little boy even had this… contentedly peaceful expression on his face. Amazing.

Then they heard Kakashi defending himself, emphasizing on how kidnappings and even assassination attempts have been made on Hikaru and that

was all based on his enemies' suspicions on their relationship. "You of all people should understand that! I'm doing this to protect him, to protect you."

he said softly staring at Kyora's back. "Understand? I don't want to understand!" with that she launched herself at the surprised jounin. She landed on

top of him and started pummeling him. If she was in serious fighting mode, those punches might take him to the afterlife, but these punches hurt in

another way. "I don't need you to protect me!" she punched his head again. "I don't need you to protect Hikaru!" her blows were getting slower but

Kakashi did nothing except to shield himself against them. "I just… I just…" she stopped throwing punches, her hands falling to her sides. Her head

was bowed down and tears splashed onto Kakashi's face. Kyora finally cried. 8 years worth of tears, of longing for her husband, of keeping strong. Her

walls crashed down as she tried in vain to get back in control. Kakashi sat up, one arm supporting his weight and the other around his sobbing wife.

Her hands were frozen by her side as she cried out her angers, frustrations, loneliness, every damn feeling she had suppressed since he left. Naruto

stared at the floor. He now understood why that dear godson of his never asks about Kakashi from Kyora. The sound of Kyora's soft sobs seemed to

eat into his heart. Unbelievable as it sounds, but Kyora really loves Kakashi. Despite being the irresponsible loner that he is, she still yearns for him. He

glanced at Sakura. She should know how that felt.

Loving Sasuke with all her heart, she endured his snide comments, his ignorance towards her. She experienced hell when he left, became stronger to

get him back. And finally became strong enough to let go. Naruto was genuinely proud of her. _'She had gone a long way…'_ he got startled when Sakura

suddenly turned to him. "Did you say something?" she whispered. Embarrassed, he fervently shook his head. "Uh-oh…" Sai pointed into the room.

Hikaru had woken up.

**Plx R&R. **

**~sorry for the occasional grammaticals errors throughout the chapter.**


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